London Hikes - Epping Forest (south)

This is a relatively short walk (8km / 5 miles) through the lower half of Epping Forest. To get to the start you will need to take the 123 Bus and get off at Beacontree Ave going north or Hillcrest Rd going south. The 123 is accessed from many Tube stops for example - Tottenham Hale, Turnpike Lane and Wood Green.

London Hikes - Dollis Valley

My Dollis Valley hike starts at West Finchley Tube, however when I walked it, the Tube was not working and I got a bus. Online you will find references to the Dollis Valley Greenland walk - this is part of my trail but starts over near the M1. All my route is recorded by GPS and saved on Strava HERE.  This trail is about 10 miles long.

From the station find your way to Dollis Brook - which runs alongside the Golf Course at the end of Fursby Ave. At the end of the golf course you need to tackle the B1462 for a very short distance - however here is an interesting point on the walk - Dollis Hill Viaduct. Worthy noted as the highest point of the Tube network standing at 18 meters tall.

From here it is easy to follow Dollis Brook as it winds its way alongside a beautiful path laden with trees and other shrubs. I saw herons and a kingfisher on the route and only a few other people out for a walk in these parts.

The walk takes you under the A1 and then under the north circular as well - both extremely busy roads and although noisy at these points it is still very rural underneath on the walk. Just before the North Circular the brook divides and goes on to form the Brent. We turn left at this point and follow the stream which is now called Mutton Brook.

When Mutton Brook goes under the A1 we turn right and cross Addison Way and into Little Wood, then we head toward Big Wood - there are a number of routes through here. On exiting Big Wood you are in Hampstead Garden Suburb. It's a beautiful place and if you want to read more please click HERE. In a nutshell, it was the invention of a husband and wife team back in 1906 although built for all classes it is really only enjoyed by the wealthy these days. A point of interest here and just of the trail is St Jude's on the hill. From here you are walking over to Hampstead Heath and all the way down it whichever way you think best.

Past the Royal Free Hospital and down Haverstock Hill you will eventually arrive at Primrose Hill with its beautiful views over London.  In my mind one of the best views of the City. You are also close to London Zoo at this point which you walk towards as the last leg of our walk takes us through Regents Park.

Lastly, then we take a stroll through Regents Park. When I walked it was May and a warm day - the trees and flowers were in full show and it was very delightful - I think this walk would also be nice in Autumn.  It is also worth noting that from the top of Hamstead Heath it is possible to get a Tube if you want to duck out (Golders Green).  But then again in London, you are never far from a Bus either. My walk finishes on Euston Rd at the exit of Regents Park - I hope you enjoy this walk as I did.

More walks found from my homepage - https://ray-wise.blogspot.com/

Charity Shoot at St Paul's Cathedral

My friend Annah got in touch to do a charity shoot to raise money for not one but three charity's - Great Ormand St, Sands and Sport Relief. She got the idea when she met Dermot O'Leary while he was raising money by dancing for 24 hours - how do you beat that I asked??

River Thames at Low Tide - a view from the foreshore.

One of my favourite places to get original images in London is the River Thames at low tide. It's a dirty, dangerous but amazing and I have been doing shoots there for quite a few years now... You certainly get a different perspective of the city from down on the foreshore. So I thought I would give a little foresight as to what makes shots like the following possible...

Hadrian's Wall Walk

I've left kings cross and am heading north, as leave London behind me fields of rapeseed replace the city towers. It's a blue sky and fluffy cloud morning, I know the weather won't be the same on my walk but the sight of it is boosting my moral.

Hadrian's Wall - attack plan!

Monday 18th (May 2015) is the big day... Sunday I'm travelling up to Carlisle via Newcastle. I'll be staying in Carlisle and getting a bus to the start point first thing in the morning - the start point is Bowness-on-Solway. From there I'll be following the Hadrian's Wall National Trial back down through Carlisle and out again towards Walton which is approximately where I  will spend my first night.

Hadrian's Wall Challenge 2015

So another year another challenge - however this year has a particular ring to it as I will be 50 years old in March.. Yes -  you can't beat time and there is certainly no slowing it down so you have to glide along with it enjoying its ups and riding the downs.. Which is pretty much like the challenge I have set myself here..

Enterprise - Car Hire, Are you insured?

When you hire a car - you are insured.. right? Well with Enterprise you appear not to be... How do I know -  well they are taking me to court for the cost of a car which I apparently caused. So to be clearer I must give you a bit more information....

Rocky Mountain National Park - Twin sisters Hike

The Twin Sisters hike is a moderate climb up some 800m (2,600ft) - Enter the Rocky Mountain National Park and head for Lily Lake. There is a road opposite called Serenity Lane - take that and you can park at the trail-head - please see my GPS details on Strava .

Lee Valley Velo Park - Track Cycling

Lee Valley Velo Park is open.. It opened to the public at the start of April 2014.. You can enjoy road cycling, BMX and mountain biking. However, I am going to concentrate on the track.  This 250m oval track was one of the stars of the 2012 Olympics so it's great to ride around that for a start -  let alone the thrill of track cycling anyway.. Here's how you go about it.

Albert Bridge - London

Albert Bridge - London

Originally uploaded by Ray Wise
Evening all.... Tonight I went down to Chelsea - on the South side of the River Thames (close to Battersea Park).. I accessed the river at two locations to get some shots off. This one was taken near the end of the shoot looking down river a the mighty Albert Bridge.

The Millennium Footbridge - London

The Millennium Footbridge - London

Originally uploaded by Ray Wise
A calm sunrise on the River Thames with the Millennium Bridge in the frame leading towards the shard and other famous landmarks which are also reflected in the still water.

Second Place!

I'm very pleased to say I got a second place at the Thames 21 Photographic competition this year. This was a great bit of news especially as the other entrants were all of a very high standard. My entry is called Autumnal Fantasy and here it is.

The scene was shot at Kew Bridge (you can see it in the background) about 2 years ago and is one of my favourites.. So I'm really glad it's got some recognition.

China 2012

At the start of June 2012, I travelled around China for 3 weeks. Not a lot of time in such a big country. Visits had to be picked carefully and time used wisely while I was there. So the main attractions had to be covered - this meant remaining on the Eastern side moving from city to city using various forms of transportation.

Trip to Corfe Castle in Dorset, England.

Looking up at the castle from south west..

I've often seen and admired images from Dorset but one place in the county nearly always comes up first in a search; Corfe Castle. This sleepy little English village lays on the A351 halfway between Wareham and Swanage.

The Games Maker...

So as a few of you already know I'm going to be helping out at the Olympics when it comes to town this summer. I got a volunteer role as a 'Games Maker', which means I'll be helping London to deliver the best that we can offer to the world.

Light-Stream Photography

Long exposure photography can be a bit hit and miss so to speak. However, I've been capturing lightstreams for years now and have learned a few tips along the way, so I thought I might share a few with you..

Break the Myth

I've been involved in the Meningitis Trust now for a few years and I was pleased when they got in touch asking me to get creative with their latest project. The trust actually turned 25 this year - so happy birthday to them! What better way to celebrate than to smash a glass... now, we are not talking about after a drink - no. We are talking about smashing the rash myth.. I'll let the guys from the trust explain what we mean..
It is a common misconception that a meningitis rash appears in every case of meningitis. This is not true. If someone has meningitis but not septicaemia, they will not have a rash that does not fade, but they can still be seriously unwell. Never wait for a rash!

So smashing the glass here is like smashing the myth - "Remember, the glass test is not a myth! It's just not the ONLY symptom of meningitis." Don't wait or it maybe too late.



The above photo was taken at 1/800 of a second - freezing the glass as is smashed throwing the blue liquid into the air. My idea is to make the frame STOP to make your mind STOP and think about what we are saying here. Maybe take the time to read a page on the subject to help save lives and realise the danger signs.. View the Meningitis Trust page HERE

For those of you interested I've also compiled a video of me making the picture you see above.. you only get one shot - you have to make it count and that's true about the signs and symptoms on meningitis.. STOP and act now.



I'm running the London Marathon 2012 for the Trust - you can sponsor me HERE

thanks for your time x

Moving away from HDR..

HDR or High Dynamic range is using for many different things in post processing. Usually it helps with blown out skies and improve details on textures like wood.. However, when the shot is blown up and looked at closely, blotchy pixels can be seen - especially in the sky.

Competition Winner

I recently entered a photographic competition run by The Independent Hostel Guide and Berghaus. I'm very pleased to say that they have chosen my shot as their winner! Details on IHG website... http://www.independenthostelguide.com/blog/photo_competition_winner .

Here's a view of the winning shot...